Sarah Yopp Injured In Chicago Party Bus Accident By Wrigley Field

Bus Accident - June 12, 2023

Pedicab Driver Sarah Yopp Injured In Chicago DUI Party Bus Accident Near Wrigley Field Marquee —> GoFundMe Created To Help Victim

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (June 12, 2023) – A pedicab driver identified as Sarah Yopp was injured in a Chicago party bus accident with drunk driver not far from Wrigley Stadium.

Cook County officials are saying that the collision took place around 12:15 a.m. on Sunday. A 40-year-old California man was driving a party bus along Clark Street near Addison Street.

He hit two parked cars before hitting a pedicab operated by Sarah Yopp. The bus driver kept going after the collision but was later stopped by police officers. A video of the incident by Wrigley Field has since been posted to Youtube.

The bus driver has been charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. He also received multiple citations for operating an uninsured vehicle, failing to display or carry a driver’s license and failure to report an accident.

Sarah Yopp said that when she got home she realized that she had a concussion and large knot on her back. She said that she remains confused as to why the police have not charged the man that nearly killed her with his bus.

You can help support the victim through GoFundMe. Anna Yopp is organizing the online fundraiser. She wrote, “Hello, my name is Anna and I am fundraising for unexpected expenses medical and otherwise for my sister Sarah. On the night of June 10th in Chicago at Wrigley Stadium a man driving his traveling bus high on psychedelics hit several vehicles and while attempting to get away hit my sister on her pedicab.”

Liability For Chicago Party Bus Accidents

Thousands of people are seriously injured in bus accidents every year. According to The Journalist’s Resource, “on average, about 63,000 buses [of all kinds] are involved in an accident each year; about 14,000 result in an injured person, and 325 result in a fatal injury.” Buses can be particularly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists for many reasons.

• Buses have large blind spots that can easily obscure the presence of cyclists and pedestrians.
• Buses take much longer to stop than most passenger vehicles.
• Buses have a wide turning radius which can make side impact collisions more likely.

Buses are considered “common carriers” and are held to strict safety standards set forth in the Common Carrier Liability Act (740 ILCS 25/). To that end, bus drivers must constantly scan the road ahead of them and slow down in order to avoid hitting any pedestrian or bicyclist. When a bus driver fails to slow down to avoid hitting a pedestrian, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.

Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11-501, no person shall drive a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. Common carriers are held to an even higher standard. No person driving a commercial vehicle is allowed to have a BAC of 0.04% or higher. There is a rebuttable presumption of negligence on the part of any driver that hits a pedestrian or cyclists while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Depending on the facts of any case, a bus company could be liable for an accident if one of their drivers hits someone. In general, companies are liable for the wrongful actions of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. For example, a bus driver may have been on their way to pick up passengers when they crashed.

The company that rented a bus to an individual could also be liable for a collision through the doctrine of negligent entrustment. For example, a bus rental company could have lent their vehicle to someone without a proper license or insurance. Or they may rent to someone who was visibly intoxicated. Both situations could potentially create a negligent entrustment claim. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any bus accident.

• Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
• Medical records should be preserved.
• Surveillance footage should be sought.
• A thorough investigation should be conducted.

It can be hard to know where to begin after any accident. But it is important for accident victims to know that they do have rights. Any person that is injured in a bus accident may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. It is important that all evidence is properly preserved after any accident.

Investigating Chicago Party Bus Accidents

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to Sarah Yopp as she continues to recover. It is deeply disappointing that the Chicago Police Department has demonstrated such an utter lack of care regarding what happened. An allegedly intoxicated driver nearly killed someone. There needs to be some accountability and transparency for what took place.

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Chicago bus accident? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of Chicago bus accident attorneys are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims get the support and justice that they are entitled to under the law. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support after an accident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.